An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c20.s1.t3.15

v1.c20.s1.t3.15

The Kurnool fauna helps in understanding the evolutionary processes and migration patterns of some animals. As Lydekker, 1886, pointed out the genera *Cynocephalus* and *Manis* are identical with the living African species while *Rhinoceros*, *Hystrix* and *Viverra* are distinct from the species now living in India. The occurrence of *Cynocephalus*, *Hyaena*, *Equus* and *Manis* indicates that many of the existing Ethiopian mammals were derived from India. Interestingly some of the forms have gradually died out in India to become dominant in Africa. Those which have not totally disappeared are either poorly represented or smaller in size. In India species of *Cynocephalus* and *Hyaena* disappeared after the Pleistocene. *Macrotherium sindiense*, the gigantic Siwalik edentate, presents features connecting it with *Manis* and is succeeded by the smaller *Manis gigantea* of Kurnool which has now migrated to Africa. However all the species of *Manis* now inhabiting peninsular India are of smaller size.